Parallel-ruler and section-lin er



(No Model.)

W. 0. MEYER,

PARALLEL RULER AND SEOTIONLINER. No. 378,142. Patented Feb. 21, 1888 02672166665. mafia)".

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UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

XVILLIAM G. MEYER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PARALLEL-RULER AND SECTION LiNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,142, dated February 21, 1888.

Serial No. 236,463. (X0 in. dcl.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM G. MEYER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusettshave invented an Improvement in Universal Rulers and Section Liners, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has forils object the production of a novel universal rulerand section-liner which may be operated quickly and accurately.

My improved ruler may be fed step by step about a center point whenever desired.

The particular features of my invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a rear view of a universal ruler constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the ruler shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section on line a w in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a section on line a" a3 in Fig. 2-; Fi

' 5, a section on line 3 3 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 a

detail to be referred to.

The ruler or straight-edge A, provided preferably with screwcaps or post a, as shown, is attached to a carriage, to be described, made movable over the paper or drawing to belined.

The carriage referred to consists, preferably, of a tubular shaft, a, extended through and supported by a sleeve, a", the said shaft being provided at its ends beyond the sleeve with wheels a oflpreferably of metahthe said wheels being preferably serrated or roughened to cause them to adhere to and roll over the surface of the paper in such manner as to produce an even spacing of the lines to be drawn upon the paper or other material. The shaft-a is rotated to move the ruler over the paper or surface to be marked upon by means of a feedwhcel, I), mounted on said shaft and adapted to be engaged by a shifting-pawl, b, pivoted to a pawl-carrying bar, I)", having at its ends collars b I), provided each with an opening, through which the sleeve (6 is extended. the collar I) having a finger piece or key, b by which the pawl-carrying bar is turned on the sleeves a to disengage the pawl from one tooth of the feed-wheel and place it in engagement with a second tooth of the said wheel, the said pawl-carrying bar being restored to its normal position, when pressure on the key I) is released, by a spring, 0, herein shown coiled about the sleeve (6, the pawl I) being kept in engagement with the teeth of the fee l-wheel b, as shown, by the spring 0', secured to the pawlcarrying bar If, the said spring serving to lock the said pawl in engagement with the feed wheel, the said feed-wheel being rotated as the pawlcarrying bar is restored to its normal position, thus moving the carriage backward.

The pawl-carrying bar I) normally rests against a lug, 0, (see Fig. 4,) on a hub, 0 provided above the bar b with a second lug, c, constituting a forward stop for the said pawlcarrying bar. The forward movement of the pawl-carrying bar may be varied, as shown, by means of an adj ustingscrew, 0", extended through a threaded opening in a lug, 0 on the said pawl-carrying bar, the said screw being adapted to strike against the lug c".

The hub c is provided with an ear, d, having an opening, up through which is extended, as shown, a screw. d, secured to the ruler A, (see dotted lines, Fig. 4,) the said screw being adapted to receive a threaded nut, (Z by which the ruler A is firmly fastened to the ear cl in any angular position with relation to the carriage, according to whether it is desired to produce parallel, vertical, horizontal, or oblique straight lines, as may be desired.

As thus far described, my improved universal ruler and section-liner is designed to be used for marking parallel straight lines; but the same is also adapted to be used for marking parallel curved lines, and when so used a curve having the desired curvature or outline may be clamped to the ruler A by the posts a", the carriage being moved by means of the key if, as above described.

In some instances it may be desired to shadeliue cones and similar drawings, and to effect this result the carriage is provided with a center pin or point,'e, herein shown as held in asplitcollar, 6, clamped to one end of the sleeve 0?. This collar may be turned from the position shown in Fig. 2 to run at'right angles to it, so that the point 0 may be forced into the paper or other material, the said collar being secured in the said position by tightening the screw a, which causes the said collar to clamp the sleeve (6 tightly, the key b being then worked, as above described, to

niovethe carriage in a plane about the pin as a center, the collar being of such length that when the point enters the paper or other material the wheels of the carriage nearest to it are lifted from the paper.

In the operation of my improved universal ruler the width of the spaces between the lines tobe drawn may be varied by adjusting the screw cas, for instance, if it is desired to have the space between the lines very small, the said screw may be turned until its pointis but little distant from the lug 0*, and if wider spaces are desired thesaid screw may be turned to withdraw its point or end away from the said lug. It will thus be seen that by depressing the key I) the pawl is caused to skip one, two, or more teeth of the feed-wheel, according to the position of the adjustingscrew.

My improved ruler may be operated very fast by working the key If without danger of skipping, the adjusting-screw permitting the pawl to skip only the desired number of teeth of the feedwheel at each depression of the key.

In practice the key may be depressed by the forefinger, the thumb and remaining fingers resting lightly on the sleeve a of the carriage, or the hand may be entirely withdrawn from the said sleeve. It will thus be seen that my improved universal ruler may be operated very quickly and with the utmost degree of accuracy. In some instances it may be desired to dispense with the use of the feed wheel and pawl and pawl-carrying baras, for instance, when it is desired to draw lines of unequal spaces, and in this case the pawl b may be turned on its pivot to disengage it from the feed wheel I), the said pawl being held or locked in its elevated position away from the said feed-wheel by the spring 0, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 3. The carriage maybe now moved forward or backward, as desired, by hand. It will be noticed that the sleeve on covers the shaft a and does not turn in the movement of the carriage.

The ruler or straight-edge A has also secured to it, as shown, by screw a, an upright arm or bracket, 6 to which is pivoted a lever, e, (see Fig. 6,) the said lever having a hole, through which may be extended the shank e of a pen, e the said pen beingseeured in position by the set-screw e,- but instead of the said pen I may secure a pencil in the said lever.

The lever e is designed to be used when it is desired to mark or ink circles or arcs of circles, with the point e as the center. WVith the lever in the position shown in Fig. 6, the pen, or, it may be, the pencil, rests upon the paper or material to be marked; but when it is desired to use the ruler for marking straight lines the lever e may be turned up, so as to remove the pen from contact with the paper.

I claim 1. In a universal ruler and section-liner, the combination, with a ruler or straight-edge, of

combination, witha ruler or straight-edge, of

a carriage consisting of a shaft provided with friction-wheels at its opposite ends, a stationary sleeve surrounding said shaft, a feedwheel, a pawl, an oscillating pawl-carrying bar supported by the said sleeve, and means, substantially as described, to determinethe extent of movement of the carriage, substantially as specified.

3. In a universal ruler and section-liner, the combination, with a ruler or straight-edge, of a carriage consisting of a shaft, a, having friction-wheels a a, a sleeve, a", a feed-wheel, b, a pawl to engage said Wheel,a pawl-carrying bar, I)", an adjusting-screw, 0 a hub, 0 having lugs c c, forming limiting-stops for the said pawl-carrying bar, and a spring, 0, substantially as described.

4. In a universal ruler :and section-liner, a shaft, at, having wheels a a, a sleeve, a", a feed-wheel, b, a pawl to engage saidwheel, a pawl-carrying bar, b a spring, 0, an adjusting-screw, 0 a hub, 0 having lugs c c", and a ruler or straight-edge, A, adjustably secured to the said hub, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a ruler or straightedge, ofa shaft, a, a sleeve, (1 a feed-wheel, b, a pawhb, a pawl-carrying bar, I), and an adjustable collar, e, and needle-point e, to operate substantially as described.

6. In a universal ruler or section-liner, the combination, witha ruler or straight-edge, of a shaft having wheels at its opposite ends, a sleeve, a a feed-wheel mounted on said shaft, a pivoted pawl adapted to engage and be disengaged from the said feed-wheel, and means, substantially as described, to lock the said pawl in either position, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with a ruler or straightedge, of a shaft, a, asleeve, a a feed-wheel, b, and an adjustable collar, 6, and needle-point e, to operate substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a ruler or straight; 

